The Perfect Route Back To An Active Life

Over the last few months we have all experienced some kind of disruption to our normal routines, including whatever we usually choose to do for exercise or training. For some, this period of forced change was a catalyst to make some really positive changes to their usual routine, like trying running or cycling for the first time or tackling unhelpful eating habits. The fact that exercise was one of the few reasons we could leave the house also gave many the perfect excuse to overindulge in their favourite pursuit, perhaps spending as much time out of the house walking, running or cycling as they could.

However, for lots of people the additional responsibilities of childcare, homeschooling, looking after elderly or vulnerable friends and family meant that having a regular exercise routine has had to take a back seat. Now that our leisure facilities are beginning to open up and the prospect of children going back to school after the holidays is on the horizon it’s the perfect time to start thinking about how to get back into exercise, or more dedicated training, and maybe re-evaluate what to get back to.

If you are someone who has not been able to train or exercise as much as you would like over the last few months it’s important not to try and pick up exactly where you left off in March. It’s important to adjust your expectations and start again slowly and steadily, avoiding the risk of doing too much too soon. Pilates is a great way to get back to a strengthening and conditioning program. All the classical Pilates exercises, whether on mat or equipment, can be modified to match your current capability, then scaled up quickly as your body starts to respond to the development programme.

If you have not exercised for a long time and the recent pandemic has made you keen to change your lifestyle and improve your health then Pilates is a great way to start because it’s low impact and focuses on leaving you feeling energised rather than exhausted. If you are not used to exercise it is also a fantastic way to relearn how to use your body and marvel at its capabilities. Whether on equipment or the mat it’s your own body weight you’re moving through the exercises with the emphasis on you staying in control at all times, this makes it a safe way to get back into moving with minimal risk of overdoing it.

Pilates can also do great things to boost your mental health at a time when many of us have been living under a cloud of fear or anxiety. Every Pilates workout demands complete concentration and control over the body at all times which means there’s really no room for any other thoughts. It gives the chance to park your worries and anxieties for a while and give yourself some breathing space, leaving you ready perform your “many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure” (Joseph Pilates, Return to Life, 1945).